


Liquid Courage

by AbbyRosette



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Drinking, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-02
Updated: 2014-01-02
Packaged: 2018-01-07 03:51:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1115140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbbyRosette/pseuds/AbbyRosette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being a double-major didn’t allow Armin much time to socialize on campus, though over the course of two semesters he had made himself a handful of what he could call good friends. He was barely able to squeeze in enough free time between studying and working his meager on-campus job. </p><p>But, he’d had enough time to figure out that his feelings for Annie were a little stronger than he wanted them to be. She was the ocean, the indifferent tide pooling and frothing around his ankles before receding and beckoning for him to follow. She had the cloudless sky in her eyes and sunlight in her smile.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Liquid Courage

**Author's Note:**

> Ugh I keep writing AUs. This is an awful college AU. Warning for some drinking and shenanigans. Also omg I don’t know how to write smooching. Don’t look at me. So much awkward smooching. I tried for you. I really did.

The bass rumbled in Armin’s chest, weaving through his ribs and leaving his heart aflutter. Mikasa sat quietly, Eren between them with his teeth set on edge to ward off any would-be suitors. Some called him over-protective and it only got worse when he was drinking. Currently, he was having a staring contest with Jean, who was sitting across the room with Marco. His fingers wrapped around the neck of the beer bottle, and Armin saw them tighten as Eren narrowed his eyes at him. 

The blonde’s gaze slid from the silent confrontation to his real point of interest: Annie Leonhardt. The wide boatneck collar of her shirt slipped off her shoulder a bit, exposing peach collarbones. There was a bored look in her eyes as she sipped her drink and it made him wonder why she even bothered coming to Reiner’s parties. It wasn’t as if they were a rare occurrence.

Then again, he could ask himself the same question.

Being a double-major didn’t allow Armin much time to socialize on campus, though over the course of two semesters he had made himself a handful of what he could call good friends. He was barely able to squeeze in enough free time between studying and working his meager on-campus job. 

But, he’d had enough time to figure out that his feelings for Annie were a little stronger than he wanted them to be. She was the ocean, the indifferent tide pooling and frothing around his ankles before receding and beckoning for him to follow. She had the cloudless sky in her eyes and sunlight in her smile. 

She’d only smiled at him once, but it was the kind of smile that you remembered. Like it was meant to be tucked into your pocket and saved for a rainy day. 

And yet he had never had the courage to confess anything to her. 

Eren clapped him on the back, shoving a can into his hands. It was as if he had been a passenger on his train of thought. He broke away from Jean long enough to say, “Hey, relax. Tonight could be the night.” 

Armin doubted that. But he popped the tab on the drink anyway, feeling the carbonation shimmer across his tongue and down his throat. Liquid courage, he thought with a smirk. He wouldn’t get drunk. After all, he prided himself on being prudent —and someone needed to be sober enough to keep Eren in line. 

He stopped drinking when the world gained a subtle glow and it was hard to keep up with Sasha Braus as she babbled to them. Mikasa listened quietly for the most part, her cheeks tinged the lightest shade of pink from the Blue Ribbon she’d consumed. Sasha was a friendly girl, but a bit of an enigma. After all, who was involved in both agricultural studies and graphic design? 

Normally, he might even be mildly interested in what she had to say about the importance of building a design portfolio. But not now, because—

A guy he’d never seen before leaned against the wall by Annie’s side. His lips curled into a smirk and he tilted his head back as he laughed at something he said. Her expression remained unchanged. She murmured something to him flatly, the words lost to Armin in the shimmy of an electronic guitar riff. The guy’s laughter cut off immediately, and he could almost see a smirk threaten her lips in response.

A twinge of glee rushed through Armin at this development. He didn’t like the way he looked at her, like she was a little slice of meat on the deli counter to be chewed up and spat out when he was satisfied. 

Apparently he wasn’t taking whatever hints she was dropping, since he wrapped his hand a little too tightly around her wrist and didn’t let go. His face hardened and he pointed an accusatory finger at her, looming over her smaller figure like a hawk. 

Something dangerous snapped in her eyes. 

Before Eren could ask where he was going, Armin was across the room. A shadow seemed to be cast over his typically bright eyes and he rested a hand firmly on the guy’s shoulder without even looking at him. “Annie, we need your help re-organizing the refreshments.” 

The guy didn’t respond well, as he’d figured would happen. He recoiled from Armin’s hand. “Listen here, bud—” 

"No, you listen." The blond’s voice was almost pleasant, but his lips were set in a tight line. Something hard and jagged glinted in his eyes. “She obviously doesn’t want your hands anywhere near her body.” 

Anger flared in the guy’s face. But before either he or Annie could say another word, Armin led her out of the room and down the hall. She noticed that he hadn’t laid a finger on her. Her sleeve was pinched between his fingers. She could have easily slid out of his grasp, but she didn’t. He had been trying to prevent a fight back there, she realized that with a hint of amusement. Had he seen the darkness in her eyes? Because she’d seen it in his. 

Maybe she wasn’t the only one who had wanted to throw a punch? 

Or maybe it was the cheap swill Reiner served as beer talking? 

She’d known him for quite some time. He was sweet, but shy. She’d never imagined him as the assertive type before. Something about the sudden shift in his apparent personality intrigued her.

They reached the end of the hall, the music fading into a dull hum that pulsated through the walls. “This isn’t where the refreshments are,” She noted dryly. 

"I know," 

"I can take care of myself," 

It wasn’t what he wanted to hear, but he’d known it was coming. Imagining her as a damsel in distress would be a fatal mistake.

"I know," 

"Can you only say one thing now?" She raised an eyebrow at him and he found himself hopelessly lost in the darker flecks of blue in her eyes. He’d like to blame the gross cliches on the alcohol, but he wasn’t sure if he could. 

"N-no," It was more of an embarrassed admission than an answer. He rubbed his arm, unsure of what to do next. He had her alone, and —miracle of miracles— she hadn’t left him yet. "I just…" 

She watched him flounder, cheeks dusted petal pink in the dim light. Perhaps he wasn’t as assertive as she had thought.

"Listen, if you’ve got nothing to say then I’m going ba—" 

Just as she was about to head down the hall, her lips were stopped with a kiss. It was hard and urgent, his arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her close. The skittering of his heart echoed to her in a way that was unspeakably intimate. Before, he had been jealous. Not that the guy had been getting anywhere with her. But he had been trying to. And the thought of someone else—

"I-I’m sorry," He broke the kiss, his head swimming with longing. His arms loosened around her, an allowance for her to break his embrace and leave. For a moment, she just looked up at him as if sizing him up. The silence stretched between them, growing taught as if it were about to snap.

And it did. 

Suddenly her arms were over his shoulders, an invitation to kiss her again. He was ravenous. It was an unfamiliar hunger that ran through his veins. He wanted to tilt her head back and breathe her in. He began gently, but she seemed to grow bored of it quickly as she pushed him to continue. Fingers wove through his hair, tugging at it lightly. A soft noise escaped his lips and it took a moment for it to register as a moan. She decided then and there that this wouldn’t be the last time she’d hear that. 

Before she could plan much further, he backed her against the wall and trailed kisses down her neck, ending in the hollow between her collarbones. She caught her breath, only to feel it slip away from her again as the kisses blossomed like roses across her skin. 

Her palm opened across the center of his chest and suddenly he was at arm’s length.

"You have my number already," She explained, "Use it for once."


End file.
